This invention relates to using a device embedded in an apparatus (an “embedded device”) to report the state of the apparatus to a remote computer.
An apparatus may contain an embedded device, such as a controller, to monitor and control its operation. Any type of apparatus may have an embedded device, including, but not limited to, home appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and televisions, and manufacturing equipment, such as robotics, conveyors and motors.
Embedded devices are often connected to an internal network, such as a local area network (LAN), with an interface to the Internet. Other devices on the internal network may communicate with the embedded devices over the internal network.